


Intimacy

by tiger7210



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Zelink AU, bashful link, zelink romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 16:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5298809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiger7210/pseuds/tiger7210
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Most men couldn’t keep their hands off of the girl that they loved. Zelda had the exact opposite problem. Link was so unbearably shy, so perfectly proper, that she was lucky to get a kiss out of him on the best of days. She didn’t mind, most of the time. But part of her had to wonder why, after three years, they still hadn’t known each other in every sense of the word.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intimacy

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bashful Link AU](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/159098) by alyssawritesalot. 



They had been seeing each other for close to three years, and Zelda was in a mood.

It was completely ridiculous, if she were being honest with herself, but after sitting in a room full of girls for most of the morning and hearing all sorts of tales about their hot-blooded men, she couldn’t help but feel jealous.

Most men couldn’t keep their hands off of the girl that they loved. Zelda had the exact opposite problem.

Link, her Link, was so unbearably shy, so perfectly proper, that she was lucky to get a kiss out of him on the best of days.

She didn’t mind, most of the time. Her life’s greatest pleasure was initiating physical interaction and making him blush. He was so easily flustered that teasing him was worlds of fun. He was gallant and gentlemanly and everything she could have ever asked for in a companion.

But part of her had to wonder why, after three years, they still hadn’t known each other in every sense of the word.

Was there something wrong with her? She couldn’t help but ask herself. It didn’t seem so; he looked at her like she was the only person in the world, and their days were full of smiles and laughter. But that was all. There were no romantic rendezvous, no clandestine kisses in alcoves or closets. He could barely peck her cheek without blushing so red the Goddess Din herself would come to claim him.

She had told herself she would let him take their physical relationship at his own pace. He would initiate things when he was ready.

It seemed, however, like he would never be ready, and if she was to get the intimacy she craved, she would have to take matters into her own hands.

It was selfish. She knew she shouldn’t. But she had to try.

In her bedroom, she sent for him after she had already donned her nightgown. She was in as vulnerable as a state as there could possibly be—half-undressed, hair down, gloves off—and she hoped that it would help soothe his worries.

But really, it only served to make him more nervous.

When he opened the door, his smile and her name died on her lips.

“Oh, Goddesses. I-I’m sorry, I should have k-knocked—“ he stammered, eyes growing wide as he tried to close the door, but she grabbed his arm, pulling him inside with a pretty smile.

“No, come in.” she said. “Please. I haven’t seen you all day.”

He scratched his neck adorably. “I was helping the boys train. They’re really improving. I’m proud of them.”

“It’s very nice of you to help them.” She took a step towards him, resting her hands on his shoulders. “I love the work you do.”

Her face drew closer, and his brow furrowed. “Zelda, what are you—“ he began, but she cut him off with a finger.

“I missed you today,” she murmured, drawing her face ever closer.

“I missed you, too,” he said automatically. He was becoming cross-eyed trying to keep her face in focus. He couldn’t tell what she wanted.

Oh, he was so dense sometimes.

In one fast motion, she kissed him.

His lips were as tender as his heart, and they were so careful, so considerate as they moved with hers. He held her delicately, hands cupping her cheeks with such lightness that she imagined he saw her as a secret, precious treasure. Something to take care of. Something to cherish.

Her heart swelled. It was just so  _Link_.

Her arms fell around his neck and she pulled him closer, eager to remove any space between them. A little noise escaped him, but for once, he didn’t pull away. He kept stride with her as she deepened the kiss, and victory never tasted so sweet.

She guided him backwards until he hit the bed, and he sat willingly, opening his legs to accommodate her and sliding his hands to her shoulders, her waist. A thrill ran through her blood at the path he traced—he’d never, not once touched her so intimately before.

Success made her brave. She reached between them, fingers fumbling with the ties at his collar that held his shirt closed. They loosened under her ministrations, and she was met with the wide-open planes of his handsome chest. She ran her hand down it, wanting to badly to feel the hardened muscles that she had always so admired—

He broke off their kiss with a start, and her eyes flashed open, bubble popped. His cheeks, true to form, were glowing crimson, and his chest heaved as harshly as hers.

“Z-Zelda, I don’t think that we should do that.”

Her forehead fell against his, and she pretended like the rejection hadn’t stung. Their heavy breath mingled.

“It was worth a shot,” she muttered, averting her gaze. She made to pull away, to bid him goodnight and let him leave and go to sleep in an empty bed yet again.

But he wouldn’t let her go. He forced her head down, her eyes back to his. “D-don’t think that I don’t want you!” he exclaimed, and his eyes grew as wide as hers at his newfound audacity. He didn’t stop, though. “I just-I respect you too much for this. I want—I want to wait. I want to do the right thing.”

He looked so earnest, so worried. He ran the backs of his fingers down the side of her face, light like he was stroking porcelain. “I love you,” he murmured, and for the first time in their relationship, it was her cheeks that grew pink. “I want to give you everything you want.”

“I want you.”

“I want you, too.” His fingers found her chin. “But we have to do what’s right, and that’s—that’s waiting.”

Though he had and always would be a strong stickler for the rules, in that moment she realized that this had very little to do with propriety. Outward affection was something that her Hero struggled with, and for fear of doing something wrong, he was afraid of progressing their physical relationship.

She knew he had his loyalty and respect always. She knew he loved her, with every ounce of his heart. He just…he wasn’t sure of how to show it. He became so nervous of reacting wrong when she showed him. It would take time to prove that nothing he could do could possibly be wrong, that it was fine to enjoy the touch of someone else. She would soothe his worries eventually.

But no matter how much she wanted it, wanted  _him_ , she wouldn’t push him farther than he was willing to go.

“Okay,” she said, running her hand through his hair with a small smile. He grabbed it in his own, bringing it to his lips so that he could kiss it. The familiar gesture made her feel warm.

He stood then, releasing her hand quickly and retying the top of his shirt. “I should go before anyone realizes I’m here.”

“No,” she said before she could stop herself. It was selfish of her, but she couldn’t help but ask. “Stay, please? Just hold me while we go to sleep. It makes me feel safe.”

His red face grew redder. He looked to the door and back to her pleading expression, clearly conflicted. But then he sighed, closing his eyes with a smile.

“Okay,” he said, running his hand over the top of her head like she just had a minute before. He kicked off his boots and walked over to the other side of her bed, pulling back the covers and climbing underneath.

The picture of him laying there in her bed, arms open, waiting for her to join him…it made her heart want to burst.

She hurried to join him.

She snuggled up at his side, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Her head fit perfectly, tucked under his. She could feel the steady beating of her heart against her own. She closed her eyes, and it felt like home.

“This is nice,” he murmured, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Imagine this, every night for the rest of our lives.”

He kissed the top of her head. “We’ll get there.”

One day soon, they would.

“I love you,” she sighed, burying her face in his neck and breathing in the scent of him, feeling his everlasting heat, while she still could.

“Love you, too.”

It wasn’t the sort of intimacy she had been expecting. It wasn’t the torrid, passionate affairs that her friends divulged over tea. It wasn’t like any other male she knew.

But it was enough.


End file.
